Apparatus for handling wheel blanks entering and leaving rolling mill



Au 28, 1962 P. CHACHARIS 3,051,330

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING WHEEL BLANKS ENTERING AND LEAVING ROLLING MILL Filed April 14, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet l nvv/vroR M-V PE rm CHA CHAR/S H EM/MAZEI Attorney Aug. 28, 1962 P. CHACHARIS 3,051,330

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING WHEEL BLANKS ENTERING AND LEAVING ROLLING MILL Filed April 14, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 'Ql R] v //VVENTOR PETER CHACHAR/S Attorney A1183 1962 P. CHACHARIS 3,051,330

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING WHEEL BLANKS ENTERING AND LEAVING ROLLING MILL Filed April 14, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 /5 W INVENTOR PETER CHACHAR/S A Horn 0 y United States Patent Ufifice 3,051,330 Patented Aug. 28,1962

3,051,330 APPARATUS FOR HANDLING WHEEL BLANKS ENTERING AND LEAVING ROLLING MILL Peter Chacharis, Gary, Ind., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Apr. 14, 1959, Ser. No. 806,321 9 Claims. (Cl. 214-1) This invention relates to the rolling of circular forged metal blanks into railroad-car wheels and, in particular, to an apparatus for handling the blanks as they approach the rolling mill from the heating furnace and again as they leave the mill for subsequent operations, and also the mandrels used in the rolling.

In rolling a forged circular blank to form the rim, plate and hub of a wheel, it is necessary to insert a mandrel in the bore which has previously been punched centrally of the blank. The mandrel falls out of the rolled wheel when it is permitted to tilt sidewise on emerging from the mill and must be manually placed in the bore of the next blank. This task is laborious because of the considerable weight of the mandrel. It is accordingly the object of my invention to provide a wheel-blank manipulator having power means for inserting and removing the mandrel, thereby avoiding the necessity for manual handling thereof.

My invention comprises generally a base having spaced pedestals thereon to which are pivoted a pair of tilting tables or leaves, viz., an entrance table provided with mandrel-inserting means and an exit table with mandrelremoving means. A feed-in table at one side of the base has means for delivering to the entrance table a heated blank lying on one side. When the blank reaches the proper position on the entrance table, the mandrel-inserting means is operated and the entrance and exit tables are raised to vertical position, with the blank between them. The tables have guide slots in which the mandrel end-s travel as the blank is pushed into the mill. After rolling, the wheel is returned from the mill to a position between the tables and when the latter are tilted down, the wheel is laid in a horizontal position on the exit table from which it is advanced for finishing operations.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description and explanation which refer to the accompanying drawings illus trating the present preferred embodiment. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal section taken along the plane of line IIIIII of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a similar view showing the tables in uptilted position;

FIGURE 4a is a partial view similar to FIGURE 4, showing the wheel formed by the rolling of the blank;

FIGURE 5 is an elevation of the entrance end with the entrance table uplifted;

FIGURE 6 is a transverse section taken along the plane of line VIVI of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 7 is an end elevation of the feed-in or delivery table.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the manipulator of my invention comprises a base 10 including spaced pedestals 1 1. Entrance and exit tables 12 and 13 are pivoted to the pedestal-s at 14. Telescoping fluidpressure motors 15 are pivoted to the tables and base, effective to tilt them from the positions shown in FIG- URE 3 to those shown in FIGURE 4. Table 12 has a mandrel port 16 therein. A guide slot 16a in the table intersects the port 16. A cage 17 secured to the underside of the table is adapted to accommodate a mandrel 18 and is provided with a mandrel-actuating fluid-pressure motor 19. Table 12 also has spaced ways 20 thereon and a retractable blank stop 21. Double-acting solenoids 21a are mounted on the underside of the table for holding the stop in raised position while a blank is being loaded onto the table from the adjacent feed-in or delivery table 22, and for shifting it into flush position.

Table 22 consist-s of spaced frame plates 23 connected by cross pieces 23a and 23b, spaced parallel top plates 24 and shelf 25 at the outer end. A yoke-shaped blankcentering pusher 26 has a guide block 27 depending between plates 24 and is slidable on ways 28 thereon. Screw shafts 29 journaled in cross pieces 23a are geared together and have threaded engagement with sleeves extending through block 27. A motor 30 on shelf 25 is coupled toone of the shafts.

Table 13 is generally similar to table 12. It has a central port 31 and a mandrel guiding slot 31a intersecting therewith. A clearance slot 31b normal to slot 31a also intersects the port. Table 13 also has a mandrel-actuating fluid-pressure motor 32 mounted in a socket 33- below it, in alinement with the port. Table 13 also has a wheel stop 34 at its inner edge. Both stops 21 and 34 have shims removably secured to the faces thereof which are engaged by the blanks.

A blank-pushing lever 35 is pivoted to base 10 and extends upwardly between tables 12 and 13. A fluid-pressure motor 36 mounted on the base between pedestals 11 is connected by a link 37 to lever 35. By this arrangement, a blank such as indicated at 38, supported between the uptilted tables 12 and 13 (see FIGURE 4) may be pushed into the wheel mill.

The several fluid-pressure motors are actuated by fluid under pressure from any convenient source, supplied through suitable piping and flexible hose, under the control of appropriate valves. The fluid-supply and -control system is not shown in detail since it may take various forms.

In the operation of the apparatus as described above, with the parts in the positions shown in FIGURES 1-3, a wheel blank heated to proper temperature for rolling, is laid flat on the ways 28 of table 22. Assuming solenoids 21a are energized to hold stop 21 above the level of table 12 and mandrel 18 is in place in cage 17, energization of motor 30 causes pusher 26 to move to the left advancing the blank on ways 28 and 20, from table 22 to a position on table 12 in which the bore of the blank is in alinement with port '16. This position is determined by engagement of the blank with stop 21. The pusher may then be returned to starting position by reversing motor 30. Pressure fluid is then admitted to motor 19 to cause mandrel 18 to be raised and inserted in the bore in the blank. Motors 15 are then actuated to tilt tables 12 and 13 from the positions shown in FIG- URES 2 and 3 to those shown in FIGURE 4. As the tables reach the latter positions, the left end of the mandrel 18 enters port 31.

Pressure fluid is next admitted to motor 36', causing lever '35 to tilt clockwise as viewed in FIGURE 6. This pushes the blank into the mill for shaping of the rim, plate and hub. In the travel of the blank toward the mill, the ends of mandrel .18 ride in guide slots 16a and 31a. While the blank is in the mill, solenoids 21a are energized to withdraw stop 21 to flush position. Thus, when the wheel formed by rolling of the blank is returned to the manipulator, there is clearance for the flange and the tread of the rim engages stop 34 on table 13, as the mandrel ends reach ports '16 and 31. Motors 19 and 32 are then operated so the latter pushes mandrel 18 from the wheel bore back into cage 17.

Motors 15 are then operated to lower the tables 12 and 13 to horizontal position. As table 13 tilts downwardly, the piston rod or plunger of cylinder 32, by its engagement with the wheel bore causes the wheel to be turned down with it, thus placing the wheel in position to be pushed off of table 13 by means not shown, for subsequent finishing operations, after the plunger of motor 32 has been retracted.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the invention provides simple yet effective means for handling wheel blanks and the mandrel used in the rolling thereof, into and out of the rolling mill. The apparatus is such as to be easily controlled by the usual switches and valves and operation may be made partially automatic if desired. Delays in mill operation caused by the difiiculty of manually handling the mandrel are eliminated and a more uniform product is assured since the time between taking a blank from the furnace and introducing it into the mill is substantially the same for all blanks.

Although I have disclosed herein the preferred embodiment of my invention, I intend to cover as well any change or modification therein which may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A manipulator 'for a Wheel mill comprising a base, a pair of spaced tables pivoted thereon for uptilting to opposed parallel position, and guides on said tables adapted to be traveled by the ends of a mandrel inserted through a blank disposed between the uptilted tables, one of said tables having a mandrel-receiving cage thereon.

2. Apparatus as defined by claim 1, characterized by means on said one of said tables for advancing a mandrel from said cage into the bore of a blank thereon.

3. Apparatus as defined by claim 1, characterized by means on the other of said tables for pushing a mandrel from a blankhetween said tables into said cage.

4. A manipulator for a wheel mill comprising a base, a pair of spaced tables pivoted thereon for uptilting to opposed parallel position, and guides on said tables adapted to be traveled by the ends of a mandrel inserted through a blank disposed between the uptilted tables, a lever upstanding between said tables and means for actuating said lever to push a blank along said guides.

5. A manipulator for a wheel mill comprising a base, a pair of spaced tables pivoted thereon for uptilting to opposed parallel position, and guides on said tables adapted to be traveled by the ends of a mandrel inserted through a blank disposed between the uptilted tables, said tables having mandrel ports so positioned as to be alined when the tables are parallel, said guides being slots'in said tables intersecting said ports.

6. A blank manipulator comprising entrance and exit tables disposed side-by-side, pivoted at their adjacent edges for uptilting movement, and power means for raising and lowering each table whereby a blank laid on one may be raised to vertical position and subsequently laid down on the other in reversed position and parallel blankmandrel guides in said tables, respectively, extending from substantially the center thereof to one edge thereof.

7. A manipulator for handling wheel blanks to and from a wheel mill comprising a base, a pair of spaced tables pivoted side-by-side thereon for uptilting about one edge to opposed spaced parallel position, means for pushing a wheel blank from between said tables when up tilted and a guide slot in each of said tables parallel to said one edge, said slots being positioned to aline when the tables are uptilted and serving to guide the travel of the blank by engagement with the ends of a mandrel inserted through said slots and a hole in the blank.

8. Apparatus as defined by claim 7, characterized by a retractable stop on one of said tables adapted to be engaged by-a blank thereon when the table is in downtilted position" and power means for actuating said stop.

9. Apparatus as, described in claim 7, characterized by a delivery table adjacent one .of said pivoted tables and blank-pusher means reciprocable along said delivery table.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 591,712 Worth Oct. 12, 1897 657,666 Melby Sept. 11, 1900 717,538 Buhoup et a1 Jan. 6, 1903 1,341,798 Graham June 1, 1920 1,450,423 Reese et a1. Apr. 3, 1923 1,770,406 Hultquist July 15, 1930 2,271,213 Weidner et a1. Jan. 27, 1942 2,699,336 Keim Jan. 11, 1955 hem, 

